Sorry for my extended absence the last couple of weeks, but the excuse is a good one: I'm engaged!!

So as much as I may have wanted to make the clementine My One Favorite Thing of the Week - I mean, really, it's got all the health-filled, sunshine-y goodness of the orange but with more sweetness, less seeds and all in an adorable little easy-to-peel package to boot - it's only fitting that I bestow that honor instead on the amazing girl who finally convinced me to give up 35 glorious years of singlehood.

The soon-to-be Mrs. Deadman is sweet, smart, sensitive, silly and sexy (yes, she too comes in an adorable little easy-to-peel package). Even though we've been together for just under 2 years, it is tough to imagine my life without her. She has a very caring soul, is incredibly nurturing (you should see her coddle our dog - and to think, she wasn't even a dog person when I first met her) and totally trustworthy. Her smile and laugh are infectious. She keeps me entertained and challenged. She supports me in every way imaginable. She gets along beautifully with my family and friends (and as a big bonus, I love her family and friends, too). I really could go on and on about how great my fiancee is but suffice to say, she is a catch (btw, we both hate the words fiance and fiancee and have stolen her sister's use of the word beyonce instead).

Now that I've made all the readers sick with my saccharine description, I will begrudgingly admit we're not perfect. We have our scraps. But that's OK. We know we love and care about each other a great deal and we start with that premise whenever one of those thankfully rare disagreements arise.

At some point, I will probably discuss my qualms over the institution of marriage in general and how I got past them. But for now I just want to keep this (mostly) romantic!

The bottom line is that I've found someone who makes me laugh, who makes me think, who makes me horny, who makes me dinner (on the rare occasion!), who makes me happy ... who just makes me better.

And I feel like a very lucky man.